Automobile lamp mechanism.



M MM 7% D. S. HUGHBS..

-.AUTOMOBILE LAMP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1912.

1,069,615. Patented Aug.5,1913.

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,1). S. HUGHES. AUTOMOBILE LAMP MECHANISM. APPLICATION IILBD novl'zi,1912.

Patnted Aug. 5,1913.

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DAVID SAMUEL HUGHES, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OFONE-THIRD TO WIL-LIAM G. DAVIS AND I\'|'IlL-'.[IIIRID TO REUBEN E. ROBERTS, BOTH OFRACINE, WIS- CONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5,1913.

Application filed November 21, 19.12. Serial No. 732,672.-

. panymg drawings, which are a part of this v cate the same parts in thediflerent views:

specification. v

This invention relates to lamps for automobiles and the like and has forits object to provide for directing the rays from the lamp at an angleto the vehicle when the front wheels are turned so that the light willbe thrown in thedirection in which the vehicle is to be turned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automobile with a pairof lamps, one of which is adapted to turn when the front wheels ofthe'vehicle are turned in one direction, and the other of which isadapted .to turn when thevehicle wheels are turned in the otherdirection, one lamp remaining in the same direction as the vehicle ineither case. i

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in theautomobile lamp mechanism as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference indi- Figure 1 is a plan view of the front portion of anautomobile frame, showing the lamp mechanism of this.invention appliedthereto, the position of the parts when turning the vehicle being shownin dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof with one of the frontwheels of the vehicle removed on the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a detail plan view of both bracket supports, parts being broken awayfor clearness of illustration; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of one ofthe lamp bracket supports on the plane of line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and, Fig.- 5 is a sectional view of one of the lamp bracket supports on theplane of line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In these drawings 10 indicates an automobile frame of ordinaryconstruction provided with pivotallymounted front wheels connected bythe connecting link 12 to cause them'to move inunison and which areoperated by the connecting bar 13 from the crank arm 14 which is turnedby the steering post 15 through its worm connection 16 therewith. Oneach of the side members of the frame, near the front end thereof, ismounted a lamp bracket but instead of said lamp bracket beingv rigid asusual. it is mounted to turn so as to direct the rays of the lampsupported thereby at an angle to the automobile under certainconditions. As.

best seen in Fig. 4 the support of the lamp bracket comprises a base orstandard 17 which may be bolted or otherwise clamped to the frame of thevehicle and which has boltedtoit a casing 18 forming the bearing for thepivotal stem 19 of the lamp bracket 20. The casing 18 has formed withinit an annular chamberand has a rearwardly extending hollow projection 21forming a tangential continuation for the annular chamber in which isconfined a coil spring 22. Plug 23 fits within the end of coil spring.22 which is contained-within the extension 21 and a set screw 24threaded'in the end of said extension bears against the plug 23 to varythe degreeof compression of the spring. The other end of spring 22 bearsagainst a downwardly extending lug 25 of a cover plate 26 which is fixedon the pivotal stem 19 of the lamp bracket by having a pin 27 passingthrough them, as shown in Fig. 4. The lug 25 against which the springbears, as seen in Fig. 5, is normally held by the pressure of the springin engagement with an upstanding'stop lug 28 in the spring chamber ofthe casing. The cover plate 26 being fixed on the lamp bracket and beingnormally held in-a definite position by the pressure of the spring,

11 as usual which have their knuckle joints the lamp bracket is thusmaintained initsnormal position in which the lamp is directed straightforward andits deflect-ion:

from such position is only permitted in one direction and then by thecompression of the spring '22-so tlutt whenthe deflecting force ceasesto act, the spring will restore the lamp bracket to its normal position.In order to facilitate rhepivotn increments of the lamp engaging thespring and in the other by an anti-clockwise movement of the lug. One

here of both supporting devices will move posed, that is to say thecompression of the wheels of the .filllClt. are moved, as shown r indotted lines in Fig. l, and the preferred bracket a ball bearing isformed by ball 29 in a raceway between the top plate 26 and the centralportion of the casing 18, there being a nut 37 threaded on the lower endofstcm for holding the lamp bracket in its bearing and the standard 17being recessed at 38 to receive such nut. A disk 30 is rotatably mountedon the central hub-like portion ofcasing 1S and its outer edge liesbetween the upper edge of the casing and't-he edge of the top plate 26,there being acm'red slot 31 in said disk through which the lug passes,as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

A. stud 32 projects upwardly from the disk 30 and travels .in anarc-shaped slot ot-the top plate 26 and a link 39: connects the studs 32of the two lainp bracket supports, as best seen in Fig. 1, so that thedisk memin unison. The casings 18 of the two supporting devices,however, are oppositely disspring in one by means of the movements ofthe lamp bracket 15 performed by a clockwise direction of movement ofthe lug of the disks is provided with an putwardly extending arm 35which is connected by a link 36 with the upper end of the crank, arm 14so that the movement of the crank arm incident to theturning ot the,i'ront wheels of the vehicle causesaturning movement-of the disks 30 ofboth lamp brac-keti supports. The lug 25 in one bracket sup port isnormallfa short distance from the right'end oi the slot 31in-the disk 30of that.

support while the lug 25 of the other support is normally located ashort distance from the left end of the corresponding slot 31 and whenthe disks are turned in one direction by tlieaction of the steering postin shifting the front wheels of the vehicle for making a turn one of thelugs 25 will be engaged by the end of the slot 31 and will be causedthereby to move against the pressure of its spring 22 and. thuscause-the lamp bracket to turn on its swivel mounting while the otherlamp bracket remains stationary.

The movement of the disk 30 of the support for the lamp bracket whichremains station-- ary is permitted by the slot 31 thereof moving itsdistant end toward the lug and the length of this slot is suliicient topermit of theextreme angle of movement desired for the lamp bracket.

In operation the turning movement of the steering post 15 which swingsthe crank arin, 14: for turning the front wheels of tlie vehicle alsoserves to swing one lamp from its normal straight-ahead position to anangular position substantially corresponding with the angular positionto which the trout normal position.

arrangement is such that when the adjustment is made forswinging thefront wheels of the vehicle to make'a turn to the right the lamp on theright remains in its straightahead position, While the lamp on the leftturns to the right and when the front wheels the left the left lampremains in its straight-- ahead position while the right lamp isturnedto theleft. The adjusting set screws as enable the springs to beadjusted to the desired I degree of compression, so that the lampbrackets are promptly returned to their straight-ahead position as soonas the front wheels of the vehicle are swung back to their The normalpositions of of the-vehicle are swung to make a turn to thedisks 30being suchv that their slots 31 i have their near ends spaced from thelugs, there is a certain amount of play in their turning movements ineither direction from the normal position before the lamp brackets areafiected. This allows for theslight changes in direction incident withavoiding obstructions or choosing the course during straight-aheadtravel without changing the position of the lamps, but when a turn is tobe made and it is desirable to throw the light in the direction of theturn as well as straight ahead the lamps assume positions accordingly.

\ What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letterslatent is:

1. An automobile lamp mechanism, comprising a spring casing forming anannular spring chamber with a tangential extension,

a coil spring contained within the spring chamber, a set screw intheextension of the spring chamber for adjusting the compression of thespring, a slotted disk pivotally mounted on the casing, a lamp brackethaving a steinjournaled within the casing, a top plate carried by thestem of the lamp bracket, a lug on the top plate passing through theslot of the disk and engaged by the end of the spring, a stop in thecasing against which the lug is normally held by the spring, and meansfor connecting the disk with the stecring mechanism.

2. An automobile lamp mechanism, comprising a pair of standards adaptedfor connection with the frame of an automobile, a casing secured to eachof the standards and provided with an annular spring chamber with atangential extension, a coilspring contained within the spring chamber,a set screw threaded in the extension and bearing against the end of thespring for adjusting the compression of the spring, a disk pivotallymounted on each of the casings and pr0- vided with an arc-shaped slotand an out- 'ardly projecting stud, a pair of lamp brackets, each havinga stem journaled within one of the casings, a top plate on the stem ofeach lamp bracket provided'with an areshaped slot through which the.stiid-pro ects ios and provided with a lug passing through In testimonywhereof, i aflix my signe- HF, $1101 of the disk and engaged by the endture, in presence of two witnesses. o t e spring a stop in the casingengaged v i by the lug, a connecting the studs of the DAVID SAMUELHUGHES -5 two disks, an arm on one of the disks, and a Witnesses:

link for connecting the arinwith the crank WILLIAM W. SToRMs,

arm of the steering mechanism. D. G. MEI-T0511.

Copies of this pgtent may be obtained for-five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

